Google Unveils Web-based Voice Tool For iPhone

Google has unleashed the entirely web-based iterations of its signature Google Voice app for Apple’s blockbuster iPhone, as well as handsets sporting Palm’s WebOS platform.

The search engine touted that these new versions would enable mobile users to use its Google Voice service as a web-based tool, with users accessing the service’s features, like placing calls, via their mobile handset’s in-built browser.

In addition, the mobile tools will let users receive and send texts, along with feature to show the outgoing calls as the user’s own Google Voice number.

In order to access the service users would need to have both a Google Voice subscription and mobile phone network services.

By introducing the service as completely web-based, Google has indeed managed to sidestep the restrictions that have hitherto prevented the search giant from launching the service on slew of handsets.

Apparently, this move from Google comes in response to Apple’s last year rejection of the Google Voice app from its App Store, claiming that the service intervened with the handset’s in-built telephone components.

Announcing the application, Google noted on its Mobile blog: “Today, we're excited to introduce the Google Voice web app for the iPhone and Palm WebOS devices. This HTML5 application provides you with a fast and versatile mobile experience for Google Voice because it uses the latest advancements in web technologies”.

Our Comments

That's fantastic news and one which we were expecting for some time already. It will provide with some serious competition to Skype as well, particularly if Google comes up with a platform that can run across other VoIP platforms as well. We wonder whether Google expects to make it compatible with desktop-bound browsers.